Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-05-27

tell how the story originated. | knew
the Heath mare very well, but not 40 well
as did the mother. the Eastman mare.
She was a wonderful mare, not any too
kind to work, but oh she could go. She
was PAGER or racker. don't know
what sired her. Mr.. Eastman is dead
and has no boys and Mr.. Heath is dead
that raised Old Morrill,. don't know as
anybody living knows what sired the
Eastman mare. She might have been by
the Kittredge Horse, but can't tell.
The Heath mare was gray, not large
mare, and had one hind leg broken when
a colt, and it was shorter than the other.
| know the Harrington Horse that sired
the Heath mare; he was a gray. iron
gray; he wasn't so handsome as his sire.
the Vance Horse. more bony and rangv.
The Vance Horse was u small horse. or
would be called small nowadays; but he
he was more compact and blocky. Col.
Burrell Vance owned him and used to
ride him on the parade, and he made Il
fine appearance. don't know what
sired the Vance Horse; don't know
where or by whom he was raised. New
err heard him called Messenger until old
Morrill, came into notice. think | have
heard Col. Vance got that horse in Hard
wick, but am not sure
There is also in this article an inter-
view with \. II. Smith of Danvile. that
wrote letter recently to Mr.. Parker.
We think that if Mr.. VIM. y. Parker
will send for Il copy of No. Is, July
| o, lSS6, of the Middcbury REGISTER. in
which this article is copied, he will be
satisfied, if he is not already, as to the
breeding of the Jennison Horse. For
from the facts, that he writes his name
out like man and a general care in his
| statements. we are inclined to think tnat
he is Il man. although we disagree with
him very much as to his opinion. that
the Morrills do not resemble the Nor
gans. And although stud book made
up of such theories a. the following from
his letter: "\ow in confirmation of all
this. Mr.. Wilbur Stearns. who knew well
/ all the horses named. and Mr.. \. H..
Smith. whose letter send herewith state
that Old Morrill, was tuc-Sib,He of the
( Dana lIorse-build, size. color and gem
eral conformation-and like him. too, had
Il 'spke-tail and but little NAME In
those days the Dana Horse was of little
account, a. he was not u -NorguR. Mr..
Jcnnison saw the point probably. and to
give his stallion prestige represented
that his sire was the Randolph Horse"
My theory is, that the Dana Horse was
got by the Winthrop Messenger or one of
his immediate descendants. many of
whom were large. coarse horses. with
light spike tails, and that the general
speed of the Morrills (there was but few
that could not have been made to trot in
3 200 came from their Messenger inhcr-
itance and the old Eastman mare. as she
was Il PAGER, sure"-wOuld hardly be
considered satisfactory to intelligent
men, although it is to Mr.. Wallace.
For poor, ignorant Mr.. Wallace we
have not much to say. He states that he
never had much faith in the reputed Nor
gan origin of the Morrills. VIII lie state.
then, why he has repeatedly recorded
them in his books without qualification :
He says 'as the Swazey-Dana Horse was
not Morgan and rs the Morgans were
all the rage, it was very natural thing
for Jennison to seek to give his stallion a
fashionable paternity" Is this Mr.. Wal
lace's estimate of men: 1t suggests to us
the reply of the famous DR.. johnson to the
person who argued with him. that every
man has his price, "Iou have proved.
sir, that one man has his price" He says,
AT the same time, it is possible the pac-
ing mare was bred to the little Morgan
horse, owned by Il Mr.. Buckminster, and
not proving in foal, she was afterwards
bred to the SwaZey-Dana Horse and got
the colt known as the Jennison Horse,
sire of Ole Morrill," There is no COM
ment to be made upon this. He con-
cludes with, "After looking the whole cor
respondence over again, we are not ready
to decide the question definitely" We
are sorry; his opinion would be so valu-
able.
We will add that this Dana Horse was
advertised by o. L. Dana Il Co. in the
Danville North Star in 1881, under the
name of Traveller, and described in 1893
As six years old, and about II hands.
Mr.. Thomson of Woodstock, who has
looked into the matter carefully, states
in letter published in the Turf, Field
and Farm, and has also informed us that
this Dana Horse was taken to Illinois
several years before this Jennison Horse
was fOaled but we do not think that this
affects the statement that he was the sire
of the Jennison Horse particle. As
the mare never came near him, he
could just as well have got the colt when
in Illinois as when in Vermont.